Indie Christmas Playlist for Kids

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6 kid-friendly Indie Christmas jams sure to please

If Christmas music makes you cringe, Christmas music for kids probably makes you throw up in your mouth a little bit. Relax your gag reflexes because we’ve got a list of Indie Christmas tunes that are kid-friendly and by some great artists.

Julian Casablancas “I Wish It Was Christmas Today”

This is a cover of a song from a 2006 Saturday Night Live sketch, starring Jimmy Kimmel, Horatio Sans, Chris Kattan, and a svelte(!) Tracey Morgan. Casablancas redid it in true Strokes fashion. Make sure to listen to both versions to get a true before and after.

Arcade Fire “Jingle Bell Rock”

Remember elementary school Christmas assemblies? Everyone would be ushered into the gymnasium where hand-written lyrics were broadcast via overhead projector for Jingle Bells and Frosty sing-a-longs. Imagine the mess those assemblies would have been without those pain-stakingly transcribed lyrics leading the way. That’s pretty much what the first 10 seconds of Arcade Fire’s Jingle Bell Rock sounds like. But they get it together. And it gets awesome. No offence to your fourth grade class.

Feist “Please Be Patient”

Depending on how old your kids are they may or may not understand the lyrics, but either way, it’s Feist and she’s lovely. This song is from the Grammy award-winning album Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All! It’s definitely one of the funniest Christmas albums of all time.

The Flaming Lips “A Change At Christmas”

This is a surprisingly sweet rendition from the psychedelic, post-punk reigning kings of weird awesomeness.

She & Him “Silver Bells”

Zooey Deschanel’s voice is sweet and haunting on this downtempo cover of a classic. Play this before bedtime on Christmas Eve to help lull those excited tykes to sleep before the big day.

Pearl Jam “Let Me Sleep”

This is soft acoustic Eddie and Mike not loud and charged up Pearl Jam. Like most acoustic Eddie songs, this one showcases his trademark rasp. Play this one before bedtime too. But this sweet, nostalgic song should definitely be the last on the list. It’s sure to carry them off to dreamland.